Le pays du dauphin vert

'Green Dolphin Street' is set in the early Victorian era and features two unusual backgrounds for Hollywood films, New Zealand and the Channel Islands. (Contrary to what some have thought, 'St Pierre' is not in France, but rather in the British-ruled Channel Islands, although the model for the offshore nunnery was clearly Mont-St-Michel in Normandy). The plot centers around two sisters, Marianne and Marguerite, who are both in love with the same man, William. (An added complication is that the girls' mother, in her youth, was in love with William's father, but they were prevented from marrying by the opposition of her parents).

William himself loves Marguerite; indeed, he seems to be unaware that Marianne is in love with him. He persuades the girls' wealthy and influential father to help him to obtain a commission in the Royal Navy. He is, however, a feckless young man and a heavy drinker, and, after getting drunk and missing his ship while in China, deserts from the navy and flees to New Zealand. He meets Timothy, another Channel Islander and fellow-fugitive from justice who has killed a man in a brawl. Timothy is now running a logging business in a remote area of the North Island with the help of Maori workers, and invites William to assist him in his business. The business prospers, and William writes to Marguerite's father, asking for the hand of his daughter in marriage. Unfortunately, he is drunk at the time he writes the letter, and inadvertently writes 'Marianne' rather than 'Marguerite'. Marianne, delighted to think her love is returned, sets off for New Zealand to marry him.

In some respects, 'Green Dolphin Street' is a standard costume drama of its period, a combination of a Jane Austen-style drawing-room romance and an epic of the British Empire. The acting is neither particularly distinguished nor particularly bad. Nevertheless, it has a few interesting features. An earthquake hits the logging camp, and this scene can still generate tension even today, as the special effects are surprisingly well done for a film of this period. The characters are well-drawn and undergo genuine development; the feckless William becomes a more responsible character and comes to appreciate the finer qualities of the wife he has married by mistake. Timothy, a wild character in his youth, also matures. He is himself secretly in love with Marianne, but keeps this a secret as he believes she will be happier with William. (Unlike many of the white settlers, he admires the native Maori population and befriends them rather than treating them with contempt). Marianne, headstrong and determined but capable of sincere love, plays an important role in her husband's success. Back in St Pierre, Marguerite, originally a rather spoiled young woman, develops a religious vocation and enters a nunnery. (The film has a strong, specifically Catholic, religious atmosphere). This is a film that has stayed watchable. 6/10.

There are a couple of errors that I spotted. The ship's captain talks of having seen a flightless bird larger than an ostrich in New Zealand. This is presumably a reference to the moa, but this bird was already extinct before Europeans first landed in the country. It seems strange that William and Timothy, both fugitives from British justice, should think themselves safe in New Zealand, where they live quite openly under their real names. The country was, after all, a British colony at the time, and they could presumably have been arrested by the local authorities and extradited to Britain.

Individual performances in this romantic epic are excellent--Lana Turner, Van Heflin, Donna Reed and Richard Hart do some fine work. Even more impressive are three of the supporting players involved in a sub-plot of their own: Frank Morgan, Edmund Gwenn and Gladys Cooper. Basically a love story depicting two sisters in love with the same man (Richard Hart) and what happens when, in a drunken stupor, he sends for the wrong woman to join him at an outpost in New Zealand. Plot complications thicken and the rest of the story is told against a backdrop of native uprisings, tidal waves and earthquakes that are all realistically depicted. No wonder the film won an Oscar for its startling Special Effects.

Lana Turner does a wonderful job as the spirited heroine on an emotional roller-coaster and Van Heflin gives his usual impressive performance as the only man who knows the truth about her relationship with Richard Hart. Donna Reed is sincere as the good sister and has a gripping scene where she is stranded on an island as the tide closes in and must climb an inner cave wall to the safety of a monastery. She also has an extraordinary moment at her mother's deathbed when confessions of a personal sort are made to her and her grieving father.

Edmund Gwenn and Gladys Cooper do an outstanding job of conveying their emotions here. Richly satisfying as a romantic drama, its high production values give it that special MGM gloss worthy of an epic film. It's a lengthy film and by the time it's all over, you feel as though you've experienced a lifetime of personal events.

Classic Action-Adventure-Romance-Morality Play and nearly anything else you'd like to see in a film, but presented in such an understated way that you'll find it sneaking up on you partway through.

Not sophisticated, not stunning, but full of human truth and including convincing performances in the leading roles. An overlooked, romantic chestnut, highly recommended.

Green Dolphin Street with its twists and turns is very intriguing. It was very well acted film its characters very deep in moving and realistic performances. It has action, adventure, suspense, romance, personal tragedies and triumphs and it is a wonderfully made film with the tradition of good storytelling. (PLOTS are not this good in lots of the current movies) Donna Reeds performance is great - Noting the extraordinary moments at Marguerite mother's deathbed when confessions of a personal sort are made to Marguerite and her father and especially suspense scenes in which Donna Reed climbs up the old passage inside of a mountain to the old door of the monastery. The story includes good visual and sound special effects which still hold up to today's hi-tech effects by providing some straight forward excitement!!! (Remember this was a 1947 film). It is rich with well the developed characters and very good acting by Donna Reed, Van Heflin and Gladys Cooper and Lana Turner who shows she can do a great job acting with out being a sex symbol. Mostly likely Green Dolphin Street would not play as well in 2005 with the younger audience, but I think that the "Old Movie buffs" will like it.

Green Dolphin Street is a wonderfully made film in the tradition of great storytelling. Made in 1947 from its namesakes prize winning novel, the film took it's fair share of Oscars. Sadly, in 2000, it is a little recognized film, and deserves a much better recognized place among the great films.

The story is rich with well developed characters, good acting, an adventurous and romantic plot, marvelous sets, intimate sub-plots, grand-sweeping plots, personal tragedies and triumphs, the full flavor of a great novel, and a healthy dose of English, French and New Zealand history. Add Lana Turner, Van Heflin and Donna Reed to all that and you've got a rich treat of a movie.

The film may seem dated and old-fashioned to some younger viewers, but most others with even the slighest bit of open mindedness will find much to be enjoyed. The production values given by MGM are in their high and great tradition. The love stories, plots and adventures are as intense as would be asked of a film that one could enjoy with one's grandmother.

Yet there's nothing sappy about the story at all. Rather, we are given a broad cast of characters that surrounds a mistake that starts a love story with a big wrinkle.

This film illustrates the richness of lives in 'the old days' of thoughtfulness, courtesy, diligence and devotion. From the elderly father and mother, to the young adults stepping out into the world, the story includes memorable visual and sound special effects which bear up to today's hi-tech stuff for straight excitement.

Green Dolphin Street shows just how grand and fine a film can be. It is a great, and lasting, film.